


Time for Healing

by ceaselesslyinlove



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, loosely inspired by Love Actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 18:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7519282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceaselesslyinlove/pseuds/ceaselesslyinlove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When your fiancé cheats on you with your best friend, it will kind of screw you up.</p><p>Annalise is the one to pull him out of his depression, telling him about a lake house she had bought in Vermont a few years ago.  </p><p>“Come up for the summer and clear your head.  I have a student who needs the space as well, maybe you two can heal there.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time for Healing

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a feel good one shot I wanted to write before the madness of season 3 hits. As mentioned this story was inspired by one of the love stories in Love Actually, but went on a different course. Enjoy!

When your fiancé cheats on you with your best friend, it will kind of screw you up.

 

Annalise is the one to pull him out of his depression, telling him about a lake house she had bought in Vermont a few years ago. 

 

“Come up for the summer and clear your head.  I have a student who needs the space as well, maybe you two can heal there.”

 

He takes her up on the offer, knowing he’d be an idiot to refuse such an offer, especially one from Annalise Keating.

 

**

 

When he arrives, Annalise is already out on the porch waiting for him.  She smiles softly at him as he parks the car and walks up to her, pecking her cheek quickly.

 

“Thanks for doing this, Annalise,” he says in greeting, sounding uncharacteristically genuine, but yet Annalise has always had that effect on him.

 

“Anything for a friend,” she says, a hint of pity in her voice, and Frank feels that familiar pang of wounded pride, wishing this hadn’t become his entire life.

 

She brings him into the foyer, telling him to wait on unloading the car until she’s shown him around.  The house is simple and quaint, with a perfect view of the lake and Frank already begins to feel at ease, after such a long time of feeling such a depressing weight against his shoulders. 

 

“Oh, and before I forget, I have to introduce you to Laurel.”

 

He almost forgot.  He has to share this place. 

 

Annalise moves to the bottom of the stairs, looking up and shouting the name before the sound of a bedroom door is heard. 

 

The girl, Laurel, seems annoyed when she makes her way down the stairs and glances over Frank.  While he finds her beautiful, there is a heavy sadness in her eyes, a sadness he feels he understands before she has even said a word.

 

“Laurel, this is Frank.  He’s going to be staying here the rest of the summer.”

 

Laurel gazes indifferently at him, before looking over at Annalise.

 

“Annalise, me trajo un modelo.”

 

Whatever she rattles off in Spanish has Annalise chuckle a little, and responds with a smirk.  Laurel gives him a nod and to his surprise, heads back up the stairs.

 

“She comes off as hard, but she’ll warm up eventually…and yes she only speaks Spanish.  Seems to understand English, but refuses to speak it.”

 

Well, isn’t that just perfect.

 

**

 

Laurel seems to want to avoid him.  When he enters the kitchen for breakfast, she’s quick to grab her food, give him a nod as a greeting, and head out.  He doesn’t mind at first.  Both of them have come to this place for solitude and healing, and whatever healing Laurel is going through, she clearly needs more space for it. 

 

But Frank has always been social, and after a few weeks of walks, books, and fishing, he begins to crave the social intimacy he once enjoyed.  Perhaps it’s the lake house’s effect on him.

 

If he isn’t mistaken, Laurel is too, by the way she often seems to hover near him for a moment, before quickly speeding away back to her room.

 

One perfect sunny morning, he works up the courage to knock on her door.  When she opens, she clearly has just woken up, her hair knotted and her oversized sweatshirt engulfing her body.  She looks absolutely adorable.

 

“Hey,” he beings awkwardly, hating how he has to clear his throat.  “I wanted to take a walk down the lake.  You wanna come?”

 

She raises a brow, looking at up a little distrustfully.  He sighs.

 

“Look, I just need some company.  I won’t even talk that much and I’ll keep to myself the rest of the day.”

 

It’s pretty embarrassing how his heart leaps at her agreeing smile.

 

He keeps to his word, not speaking a word as they walk in silent ease.  The only time he speaks up is when he greets other people along the lake, then telling Laurel about the other families he’s come across.  She responds to him in Spanish, and he doesn’t mind at all.  He’s just happy to have claimed a moment with her.

 

**

 

The walk somehow makes her trust him.  Afterwards, she occasionally joins him on the porch when he’s reading, sometimes with a book of her own or her iPod.  She stops taking meals in her room, instead she joins him in helping create a meal they share together. 

 

They walk almost every morning and evening.  Every day, he feels the bond he has with her grow stronger and stronger.

 

“My fiancé,” he tells her one evening as he watches her cool her feet in the water.

 

Her whole body stiffens.  “Que?”

 

“My fiancé cheated on me with my best friend.  That’s why I’m here.”

 

It feels strange, saying the words aloud.  There’s still a small pang as he says it, but as he looks at this woman before him, the words seem to have softened against his heart, no longer tearing away from him.

 

She stands up and walks until she’s right in front of him, her eyes filled with a sorrowful anger.

 

“Tu prometido era una idiota,” she whispers and wraps her arms around him tightly.

 

**

 

That night, she falls asleep as they watch a movie together.  Her head falls against his shoulder and he doesn’t dare move, waiting until she’s fully asleep to carry her back to her room.

 

**

 

He wakes up from an afternoon nap to the sound of yelling.  It takes him a moment to recognize Laurel’s voice and he quickly jumps up, making his way to her room.

 

The door is flung open and she’s pacing, her phone to her ear as she rattles off in Spanish.  Her tear-stained eyes meet his and he receives the message loud and clear.  He heads downstairs, deciding to make some coffee to drown out the sound.

 

He has two steaming cups of coffee ready when she emerges.  The urge to open his arms to her is so strong, but he manages to resist, gripping the counter as she walks around to stand in front of him.

 

“Lo siento por eso.”

 

He clears his throat.  “It’s fine.  Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Mi padre,” she whispers, giving him a self-deprecating smile.  When she sees the confusion cross his face, she places a hand against his chest, probably feeling how his heart picks up speed.

 

“Tu prometido,” she moves her hand to her own chest.  “Mi padre.”

 

He’s surprised at the sudden violent anger he feels towards this man, wherever the hell he is.  Why would anyone ever want to bring Laurel Castillo pain?

 

“Your dad sucks.”

 

This time, her smile is genuine.

 

**

 

That afternoon, he’s on the porch when he hears Laurel open the sliding back door.  He doesn’t bother saying anything, assuming she will sit down and join him.

 

“Quiero nader.”

 

He finally turns to address whatever it is she wants, but he loses all speech when he actually sees her.

 

She’s wearing a black bikini.  It’s not overly sexy, very simple in design, but after only ever seeing Laurel in leggings and sweatshirts, he’s speechless.

 

“If you want to swim, I think it’s too cold for that,” he somehow manages to say.

 

She shrugs and walks down the steps.  He tries desperately to stare anywhere other than her ass as she makes her way to the water.  Dropping her towel on the deck, she turns to him, giving him a smile as she waves him down.

 

“Quieres acompañarme?” 

 

“I’m not freezing my ass off in that water.” 

 

She shakes her head with feigned annoyance, but he has to laugh as she jumps in the water only to come up gasping.  

 

“Told ya!” He laughs again at her pout and he can’t remember the last time he felt this relaxed and happy. He watches her swim for a bit, just happy to see her happy.  She’s just getting out of the water finally when he hears the phone ring, affirming that Annalise is checking in. 

 

“Hey, Annalise,” he greets, turning to nod at Laurel as she follows him into the house, her body wrapped in a towel. 

 

“Hi, Frank.  Just calling to check in.  How are things?”

 

 “Things are good.  Real good.” 

 

“And Laurel?  Has she softened up yet?” 

 

He laughs.  “Yeah, I guess you can say that,” he catches Laurel’s eye and she shakes her head at him, making her way upstairs to take a shower, something he’s definitely not thinking longer about. 

 

There is a pause on the other side.  “I haven’t heard you laugh in a long time, Frank.” 

 

“Yeah…yeah I guess this trip is really working out for me.” 

 

In more ways than one. 

 

** 

 

That night, as they watch their daily movie, Laurel suddenly turns to him. 

 

“Cuando vine aquí estaba orando por un milagro.  Y entonces llegaste. Locura, no?” 

 

Even though he has no clue what she says, there’s something profound and wanting in the way she’s looking at him.  All he can do is take her hand in his and squeeze it, trying to convey to her all he feels in return.

 

** 

 

It’s exactly two weeks before the end of his time there, when Laurel knocks on his door right before he has fallen asleep.

 

“What’s wrong?” 

 

She just stands there staring at him. He’s about to ask again, thinking something terrible has happened, when she speaks. 

 

“Frank, I can’t stay away anymore…I can’t…” she trails off and suddenly it dawns on him that this is the first time she’s speaking in English to him, in perfect American English no less, and he’s still processing that when she tries again. 

 

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to just leave you in two weeks.  I don’t know how I can just go back to my life after having known you.” She spews out the words, as if she’s never been so terrified in her entire life.  He stares at her, in shock, in joy…and there’s so much he wants to say back, to relieve the fear in her eyes, and what comes out surprises them both. 

 

“So you speak English.” She blinks at the unexpected statement and he feels like a goddamn idiot. 

 

“Yes.” 

 

There’s an awkward silence.  She blinks quickly as he stands there, still unmovable, and to his horror, he sees tears sting her eyes. 

 

“I’m sorry, this was stupid.  I’m just so stupid, I should have never – ” 

 

He shuts her up with a kiss that has them both quiet for a long time after. 

 

** 

 

“What happens now,” she whispers to him the next morning, their limbs tangled and his hand drawing patterns on her bare back as she lies on his chest.  There’s a nervous tremor in her voice and he pulls her tightly to him, trying to hug the fear right out of her. 

 

“Well, since my family happens to live in the same city you go to school in, I would not be opposed to this becoming a regular thing.” 

 

His heart swells when she places her lips on his chest in reply and then makes her way up to his mouth, smiling deeply. 

 

“Eso suena perfecto.” 

 

“Good.”


End file.
